Rich's Corner

A Healthy Plant Based Approach

Did you know Oreo cookies are vegan? Did you know a lot of processed foods are vegan as well? Vegan foods do not necessarily mean healthier choices. That is why I consider myself to be plant based, although admittedly, I use both terms interchangeably.

I know some vegans are not early the way they do for health reasons, which is why they have no problem eating the junk food. I do love animals, but I became plant based for health reasons too. the amount of protein I would need to build muscle by eating meat would cause too much damage on the body. At least plant protein is good for the body... and plants offer lot of nutrients that animal products don't have, like fiber.

I think a common misconception is that vegan always means healthy eating. Or that vegans are protein deprived. Or they are missing B12. But when someone says they are whole food plant based, there's no mistaking the health benefits of their diet. What that means is eating whole foods and avoiding processed foods (so no junk food).

The best term I heard to describe being plant based is Rip Esselstyn's description. Rip is the founder of the Engine 2 eating plan and he coined the phrase "Plant Strong". I can't think of a better description as I continue to build muscle.

About the author

Richard Hubbard was once over 350 pounds. After a doctor's physical and finding out he was pre-hypertensive, he decided to make changes and avoid medication. Over the course of a year, Rich lost the first 120 pounds of his incredible 150 pound weight loss. He ate healthy foods based on Dr. Joel Fuhrman's book "Eat To Live". He was mostly plant based, but switched to completely plant based in September of 2016. He also became a vegan in the process as his compassion for animals increased. He credits bodybuilder Robert Cheeke for influencing his decision of going vegan. Rich aspires to be a vegan bodybuilder and is planning his first half marathon this year.